Ranatunga v Warne in 1996 (Allsport).

By Andy Hampson, PA Sport

Jeff Thomson (Australia) v Sunil Wettimuny (Sri Lanka)

Group match, The Oval, June 11 1975

Fast bowlers are never more deadly than when angry, and by the time Thomson arrived in London, he was absolutely fuming. Stung by the criticism of his constant overstepping in Australia's previous match, Thomson was determined to let rip - and poor old Wettimuny bore the brunt of it. Thomson first put Duleep Mendis in St Thomas' Hospital by hitting him on the head with a bouncer then got to work on Wettimuny. The Sri Lanka opener withstood several blows to the body and Thomson unsportingly and overdramatically tried to run him out as he hopped around after being struck on the foot. He battled on to a game 51, but eventually decided to call it a day and join Mendis in Accident & Emergency after chopping the ball onto the same battered foot for a second time.

Allan Border (Australia) v Imran Khan (Pakistan)

Semi-final, Lahore, November 4 1987

The right of Pakistan to reach the final of a World Cup they were co-hosting and for Imran Khan to retire in a blaze of glory had barely been questioned. What they and 40,000 passionate fans had reckoned without was Border, who put one over his opposite number by skippering his unheralded side to a surprise victory. The Aussies started well before slipping to 155 for three. Border and Mike Veletta recovered with a dogged stand before Imran hit back with three late wickets as Australia scored 267. Three early wickets saw Pakistan's reply begin disastrously, but Imran cracked 58 in 112-run stand with Javed Miandad (70) to throw the game back into the balance. It was Border who made the crucial breakthrough, having Imran caught on the boundary to turn the game Australia's way. It was not the way Imran planned to retire, and he soon returned.

Martin Crowe (New Zealand) v Allan Border (Australia)

Group match, Auckland, February 22 1992

Australia had just one match to play in New Zealand during their own World Cup and after this disastrous trip to Eden Park, it was probably just as well. Border travelled across the Tasman with a side brimming with confidence under their tag as tournament favourites, but the underdog had its day in a dramatic opening to the competition. Border was completely outsmarted and outplayed by his Kiwi counterpart, a man not fully fit and whose captaincy had been the subject of much criticism. Crowe first defied the Aussies with a brilliant unbeaten 100, playing much of it on one leg to protect a knee injury. He then dumfounded the Australians by opening the bowling with probably the slowest attack in world cricket in Chris Cairns and spinner Dipak Patel. He then mixed in plenty of medium pacers in one and two-over spells and denied the Aussies the chance to reach their target.

Moin Khan (Pakistan) v Mike Whitney (Australia)

Group match, Perth, March 11 1992

This childish skirmish between Pakistan wicketkeeper Moin and Australian tailender Whitney is perhaps the nearest thing to fisticuffs the World Cup has ever seen. It came towards the end of another ill-tempered encounter between these two fiercely competitive sides. Whitney had enjoyed little luck with the ball and as Australia collapsed towards defeat, Moin's constant chattering obviously irked. The pair had to be separated by Bruce Reid and umpire Piloo Reporter as the exchange threatened to become even more heated. Wasim Akram resolved the problem by bowling Whitney to wrap up the game soon after. The match proved pivotal to Pakistan's at that point faltering campaign and Imran Khan's 'cornered tigers' went on to win the tournament.

Arjuna Ranatunga (Sri Lanka) v Shane Warne (Australia)

Final, Lahore, March 17 1996

The rivalry between Australia and Sri Lanka was there for all to see when Ranatunga strode out to bat and was met by a hostile Warne glare in the 1996 final. The Aussies had wound the tropical islanders up the wrong way during the tournament and prior to the game, Ranatunga fanned the flames by intimating that their golden boy was overrated. Warne was in to his last over when the Sri Lanka skipper came in and although the hard work had been done, Ranatunga showed no remorse, clobbering his first ball through the bowler's fingers for four and whipping the next for six to the delight of the crowd. He poked his tongue out for good measure.